Internal-combustion engine



April 19, 1927. 1,625,261

v. LINK INTERNALv coMBusTroN ENGINE Filed bec. 2'?, 192s l EIC INVENTOR .V//YCE/YT L//VK j 'ATTORNEY a retenue Apr. i9, 1927.

` UNITED STATES 1,625,261A PATENT oFFiE.

VINCENT LINK, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE STUDEBAKER- CORPORA- TION, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

mTnnNAL-coMBUsrioN ENGINE.`

Application med 'December 27, 1.923. Serial No. 683,054.

. This invention relates 4in general to internal combustion engines and particularly to cam followers and their use in connection with the rocker arms, valve tappets and the like, `yused in the valve operating mechanism 5 of the engines.

' An object of this invention is to provide a cam follower which will automatically vadjust itself to bear with'the full length of its contact face against the cam, regardless of l whether or not the line of contact between the cam follower and the cam-is at all times in a plane parallel to the axis of the cam sh ft lower of the non-rotating type having a sliding seat in its support and means for allowing it to slidably move on this seat. y

Still another object is to provide such a cam follower that will be sim le in construction, efficient in operation an economical to produce.

Theabove and further objects will beapparent from the following explanation and companying drawingswhich show one embodiment of the present invention.

In the drawings in which'lik'e numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views:

Fi re 1 is a fragmentary transverse sectiona view of an internal combustion engine in connection with which I show an embodiment of my present invention.

li re 2 is a side view of a rocker armin whic my p resent invention is incorporated.'

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken on -a plane parallel to the drawing centrally through the cam engaging portion of the rocker arm of Figure 2, the cam follower member being removed to more clearly show the construction.

Figure 4 is a side view of the cani follower member.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of Figure 2.

-Figure 1. shows an internal combustion engine havin a crank-.case which supf ports a cylin erblock 11 which .in turn is covered by the cylinder head 12. The cylinder block 11 is provided with a cylinder havinga hner 13 1n which a piston 14, connected to the crank shaft 15 by the connectmg rod 16, .reciprocates The 4combustion 'chamber 17 is connected by the passage 18 to "case 10 at 23 and is provided with a screw a Another object is to provide a cam folf description, reference being made to the ac3-:the contact face` of the cam follower t0 ythese conditions accurately enough' sure an absolutely coi-rec n f tact between the' cam and valve tappet or either an intake or 'exhaust manifold as the case may be,`.the entrance of combustible mixtureto, or the emission of exhaust gas from, the combustion chamber 17 being controlled by the poppet valve 19 of conventional construction. The valve 19 is operated by'a cam 2O on a shaft 21 through the medium of a rocker arm 22. The-rocker arm 22 isV pivotally supported on the fcrank 24 which is adapted to adj ustably engage the lower end of the poppet valve 19, the screw 24 being locked in adjusted position by the lock nut 25. It-is also E'provided with acam follower member 26 whidh is adapted to cn- 'I0 gage the cam 20, and the movement that the cam imparts thereto is transmitted through the arm and screw 24 to the valve -19 and thus controls the position thereof. In the conventional constructions used today in internal combustion engines, whether the valve -be operated directly. by the cam, or throughthe medium of a valve tappet or rocker arm, no provision is made to allow adjust itself to any angularity or unevenness of the cam. In the conventional valve tappet of the mushroom construction the axis of the tappet is designed to be perpendicular to the axis of the cam shaft, the conf tact face of the tappet being perpendicular to the axis ofthe tappet and all longituv dinal lines of the cam are parallel to the axis of the cani shaft. Thisy design y1f co1"- 'rectly carried out in the manufacture pro- V130 vides'a full length line of contact between the cam and the valve tappet. However, due to manufacturing diiculties commonly arising in roduction, it has beenv found practically impossible to consistently pbtam 9 5 1nfull line of conf follower face. The axis of the tappet guide may be slightly out of perpendicular to the 1170 axis ofthe cam shaft, the plane of the tappet y face may not be absolutely perpendicular to the axis of the tappet, br thegliongitudmal lines of the cam may not be/ rallel to the axis of the cam shaft. Anyone of these con- 10i besuch as to prevent the cam from contacting to the full degree, and any one of them usually allow but a point of contact the two, which obviously is an undesirable con- 11 ditions may and tappet the parts involved. The 'means I show inl the drawings are as follows z--The cam follower 26 is provided with two parallel faces 27 and 28 (Figure 4)- which are adapted to be closely but slidably received, between the two parallel faces 29 of the recess 30 in the rocker arm 22. Its contact face is rounded off as at 31 about a line which is substantially parallel to the axis of the cam shaft 21 when the two are placed in operative position. This is to rovide that the line of force transmitted rom the cam 2 0 through the follower 26 will always ass centrally therethrough and will not, in e ect,

. .change the ratio` of cam lift to valve lift,

and also will not tend to bind the follower 26 on the surfaces 29 of the recess 30.

The rear face of the follower 26 is rounded off as at 32 about a line perpendicular tothe faces 27 and 28, and to the axis of the cam shaft 21, to the form of a cylindrical surface, and the bottom of the recess 30 is formed as at 33 to match it and form a seat therefor.l This construction issuch as to allow the follower 26 to slide on the seat 33 and adjust itself to bear against the cam 20 for its full width, thus com ensating for y'any irregularities in the manu acture of the parts involved. In order to prevent the follower 26 from dropping out of the arm 22 and yet allow it sutlcient latitude of movement to adjust itself as described, yI

.provide a pin 34 secured in the opening 35 of the arm 22 and also provide in the cam follower 26 for the passage of the pin 34, an opening 36 which is considerably larger in dlameter than the pin 34, in order to allow-movement of the follower 26. The opening 36 is of necessity larger than the pm 34 in order to allow the movement described inasmuch as the construction is such ,as to make it'undesirable to have the axisA of the cylindrically shaped surfaces 32 and 33 withm the follower 26. The opening 36 as shown is considered suicientl large to allow for any possible variations 1n the follower 26, but itis tb be understood this detail may be varied to suit any conditions that may arise. 5

It is evident from the foregoing that I have provided a cam follower that, because of its ability to angular-ly adjust itself, will Vfrom to said valve,

consistently provide a full line of contact between itself and the cam surface, regardless of the prevailing irregularities experienced in manufacturing.-

1. In a device 0f the class described, a rocker arm having acurved seat, a cam fol lower having a curved outer face mating.

3. In combination, a valve, a cam, a 'cam' follower, and a member for supporting said cam follower and transmitting motion theresaid member having a cylindrical `seat contactin with an outer cylindrical surface on sai cam followerto permit oscillatory movement to said folulower.

4. In combination with a cam, a cam follower provided with a c lindrical external seat u n which it is a aptedto oscillate in a ane arallel to the axis of said cam.

5. com ination with a cam, a cam follower, and a supporting member for said cam follower, said cam follower be' adapted to have .sliding contact with slali cam and being provided with an exterior .cylindrical face to enga e a cylindrical seat in said suppjorting mem r.

6. In com mation, a cam, a valve, a rocker arm to operate sa1d valve, and a cam follower supported-by said rocker arm and operated by said' cam, said cam follower having a .cylindrical outer surface engaging a cylindrical seat in said rocker arm to provlde oscillatory movementof said. follower in a direction parallel with the axis of said cam, and means to prevent disengagement of said follower with said rocker arm.

7. In combination with a cam, a cam follower, yand a cam follower supporting mem uo f ber, said cam follower supporting member being provided with a recess for receiving said cam follower which has two Hat faces in a plane parallel to the axis of said cam and a cylindrical seat erpendic'ular to said fiat faces, said cam fol ower being rovided with a cylindrical face to engage t e cylindrical seat of said recess. i

8. In an internal combustion engineg'a cam shaft having a cam thereon, a valve, a rocker arm provided with a recess havin two parallel side walls and a curved wa pivoted to said engine to operate said valve, and a cam follbwer operated by said cam provided with parallel side walls and a curved outer face I nounted in `said recess, said curved surfaces co-operating` to provide Aoscillatoryl movement of said follower relative tosaid cam, and Vmeans. to prevent dis'- 5 engagement of 'said follower lwith "410. A valve tappet, comprising'a tappet Vbody-and a se arate' tappet head movable relative to the oily in a plane-parallel to the axis of an associated cam shaft, where- I by the head may adjust itself to engage an l associated cam squarely across the face of .the cam. f

*x29 A valve tappet, comprising a tappet ot pin extending crossvvise of aniassociated body and a separate 4tappet head fulcrumed thereon on a line running crosswise of anas- 4sociated cam shaft, whereby said head may adjust itself to engage an associated cam squarely across its face thereof. 25

12. A valve tappet, comprising a tappet. f

body, a separate tappethead, and a pivot pin connecting said body and head, said pivcam-shaft. 30

13. A valve tappet, comprising a -ta pet body forked at its lower end,` a tappet ead having an ear located between said forks, and a pivot pin extending through said forks and ear, said pin extending crosswise 35 of an associated cam shaft.` y i l 'Signed by meat Detroit, Michigan, U. S. A., this 19th day of December, 1923.

Y LINK 

